The duel began.
The gate slowly swung open on its own, fully revealing the cityscape of the World of the Forgotten to everyone present.
Vast, dark, and strewn with bones, the world seemed like a beast waiting to devour whoever entered.
Aster and Amon took positions not far behind Hikaru. By now, they'd introduced themselves to each other.
The adopted heir of a financial dynasty and a star of the professional circuit. The two labels seemed to have nothing in common, but both Aster and Amon knew full well that arriving at the gate at nearly the same time meant there was likely no gap between them in "power."
This piqued Aster's interest slightly.
Before coming here, Sartorius had told him he would begin the next stage of his journey to becoming stronger. He was curious about what exactly would make him stronger. While he did feel a slight attraction to Echo, Aster was through and through a proper gentleman. After brief contact with the two, he instantly snuffed out whatever faint notion had flickered in his mind.
What he was more curious about was how this duel would unfold.
The duel had started, but for some reason, the enormous spirit hadn't made a move, instead continuing to scrutinize Hikaru.
And Hikaru himself was staring at the cards in his hand with surprise, as if something was unexpected.
The spirit studied Hikaru and spoke slowly. "It seems you feel neither anger nor disgust. Only puzzlement."
"I'm just a little surprised."
Surprised?
What was going on?
Both duelists turned to look at Hikaru.
"When you entered this world, when you sank into this abyss, when you walked toward the gates of this netherworld under darkness and pressure, the monsters in your decks were being slowly replaced."
That was possible!?
The two immediately checked their decks and found that their monsters had indeed been swapped out for Normal Monsters!
"How!?" Aster exclaimed.
"I didn't notice at all." Amon said in disbelief.
"Rest easy. Your monsters haven't truly been replaced. The spirits here have merely hidden them in your Side Decks."
Both quickly reached for their belt pouches, found their monsters safe and sound, and breathed a sigh of relief.
While they'd come here to seek out forgotten spirits, losing their own cards in the process was out of the question.
"If you wish to prove yourselves, to prove your resolve, then you must demonstrate it through action. Should you fail, I will bestow upon you the most agonizing curse:
No matter who you duel, at the critical moment, you will never draw the card you need most."
Whoa...
Everyone stared at the spirit, faces full of shock.
It could actually do that?
This spirit's power was that immense?
"Can only these monsters be used in the duel?" Echo looked at Amon's deck.
Fight with these weak monsters that had no special abilities?
She was worried.
"No, perhaps this is exactly how it should be." Amon studied the monsters in his hand. "If I want to save these spirits, to make their resentment and suffering disappear, what I should do is stand in the same position as them... I understand."
Amon reflected deeply.
"Oh, you want to save the spirits here? Make their pain and resentment vanish?" Aster overheard Amon and couldn't help feeling intrigued. "Interesting. If you could actually pull that off, that would be a truly heroic feat."
Then he shook his head with a smile. "Though it looks like an incredibly harsh trial, in reality... for Chief, it should have almost no impact, right?"
Almost no impact?
The other two turned to Hikaru.
Hikaru nodded. "That's right. As long as I have Fusion, nothing else matters!"
"It seems the humans who've come to this world this time all carry conviction. Not a single fraud among you." The enormous spirit surveyed all the humans once more, then slowly raised its right hand in acknowledgment.
"Then, let's see if you have any real skill. My turn, draw.
Normal Summon... myself."
It summoned itself right off the bat!?
Everyone was startled.
They were all battle-hardened, having adventured and dueled across many dimensions. They knew full well that spirits often summoned themselves during duels. On one hand, it was the card they knew best. On the other, summoning themselves amplified their dueling power, letting them draw and play stronger cards.
But leading with a self-summon...
"Normal Summon in Attack Position: Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend."
A smaller, cloaked spirit leapt forward and landed on the field.
...
Who!?
Everyone mentally shouted at the same time.
Even Hikaru's jaw nearly dropped.
What was the name!?
Leo Wizard!?
A god!?
Looking more closely, the cloaked, magic-wielding monster was indeed just a lion wearing a cloak.
It really was Leo Wizard!?
Could even a "god" be forgotten?
Then he caught himself. No, this wasn't his old world. The "meme" about this card didn't exist here.
Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend, Level 4, DARK, Spellcaster, ATK 1350.
"Only 1350 ATK?" Echo frowned in confusion.
"Leo Wizard... that's the one, right? The Level 4 Spellcaster monster?" Aster's knowledge was extensive enough to instantly recognize the monster's origin.
"Leo Wizard?" Amon was also somewhat surprised. A Level 4 monster with only 1350 ATK, yet in this world, it had evolved?
"But the important point here probably isn't that." Aster thought for a moment, then spoke up.
"Right, exactly." Amon followed immediately. "If all the monster cards in Hikaru's deck have been replaced with the monsters from this world, then they're all monsters with perfectly ordinary ATK and DEF, forgotten monsters. Breaking through 1350 ATK might be somewhat difficult. And moreover... Attack Position feels very much like bait."
Thinking this, the two exchanged another glance.
It seemed the opponent was indeed formidable.
"I'm not finished. Activate Continuous Spell: Heart of the Underdog."
Leo Wizard played a Continuous Spell on the field.
"Heart of the Underdog." As if competing, Amon spoke first. "It's a Continuous Spell that lets you reveal the card drawn during the Draw Phase if it's a Normal Monster, then draw one additional card."
"The powerful thing about this card is that as long as the card drawn during the Draw Phase is a Normal Monster, you get to draw again." Aster refused to be outdone. "So if you activate a Quick-Play Spell during the Draw Phase to swap your hand and draw a Normal Monster, you can keep drawing."
Both nodded simultaneously.
It was a remarkably high-quality support card for Normal Monsters!
"Set one card. Turn end." The enormous lion slowly laid a card face-down on the field, watching Hikaru.
Everyone was curious how Hikaru would duel. Hikaru showed no tension whatsoever. He glanced at his hand and immediately began his turn.
"My turn, draw."
Hikaru drew a card from his Deck, glanced at it, then casually asked, "So then, Leo Wizard, the monsters in your Deck should be the same monsters as mine, right?"
"Correct. Aside from myself, all the monsters are the same as yours. If your Deck still contains any old, antiquated monsters without abilities, those may have been kept as well."
Hikaru nodded.
He tried to play a monster, but was surprised to find he couldn't use it.
"What's this?"
"As long as I exist on the field, both players must Tribute 1 monster to Tribute Summon any Level 4 or lower monster whose ATK or DEF exceeds 1350."
Holy...
Hikaru's pupils contracted.
"What did it just say?" Amon's eyes widened in shock.
"It's actually a rule-altering effect!?" Aster was equally stunned.
This kind of effect probably couldn't even be replicated in current simulator duels!
"I see. That really is a powerful effect." Hikaru praised sincerely.
The effect was actually quite formidable, because in his memory, modern monsters generally had higher ATK and DEF. Requiring a Tribute at the 1350 threshold was genuinely oppressive.
Though admittedly, most real core monsters could Special Summon themselves anyway.
"Then, I'll play this." Hikaru didn't hold back, placing a card directly on the field. "Field Spell: Fusion Recycling Plant!"
"Oh... a Field Spell with Fusion in the name?"
Leo Wizard surveyed the surroundings and, recalling Hikaru's earlier declaration, wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, the man had said as much.
"But you realize," Leo Wizard raised a hand and said, "among the countless abandoned spirits here, there are also Fusion Materials for ancient Fusion Monsters. But because those materials are so hard to assemble, the Fusion Monsters they produce can't even match some of the popular low-Level monsters in your world today. They were tragically discarded for that reason.
So, how will you prove your Fusion?"
Hikaru looked at the monsters in his hand, nodded, and said, "Indeed, many monsters of the past were gradually abandoned because they couldn't keep up with new cards. But that's never permanent.
When the right moment comes, even a card that once seemed completely useless can suddenly shine."
A prime example might be Fabled Lurrie. An obscure card from the Fabled series that suddenly reappeared on players' radars with the arrival of Fiendsmith, even leaping to become a staple component in numerous decks.
"And it's not just that. Dueling evolves, and Fusion naturally evolves with it.
What I want to prove is this: no matter the circumstances, as long as you're willing to accept me, as long as you're willing to move forward with me, then Fusion will always be possible."
"Activate Spell Card: Polymerization!"
He abandoned his Normal Summon entirely!
Going straight into Fusion!
"I fuse Thousand-Eyes Idol and Key Spirit from my hand!"
"How can those two monsters be fused!?" Leo Wizard was caught off guard.
"Ah, it's that monster." Aster immediately understood Hikaru's plan.
"That's right!" Hikaru heard Aster's murmur. He raised his hand and declared, "The Fusion condition is: two Normal Monsters!"
"Ancient dragon, shelter your children and bring forth the power of Fusion!
Fusion Summon! Level 9!
First of the Dragons!"
"ROAARRR!!"
A winged, serpentine dragon appeared spinning out of the dark mist of Fusion, supported by the power of two Normal Monsters.
First of the Dragons, Level 9, DARK, Dragon, ATK 2700.
"Interesting."
Leo Wizard gazed at this dragon and silently nodded in approval.
"A Fusion Monster that only requires Normal Monsters as material?" Amon nodded continuously from the sideline. "That way, even antiquated monsters have the power to protect themselves."
"Exactly." On this point, Aster dropped any competitive mindset with Amon and spoke directly. "Believe in Fusion, have faith in Fusion, fuse with one another. Through Fusion's power, all beings can support each other. Even originally weak monsters can gain the strength to overcome powerful enemies... That is Chief's conviction.
The forgotten spirits may be filled with pain. They may be unable to forgive the suffering of being abandoned. But as long as they're willing to follow Chief, he will offer his own conviction for them to Fuse with.
A truly heroic act."
Aster's opinion of Hikaru had always been this high.
Amon, meanwhile, gained an even more comprehensive understanding of Hikaru's "strength."
"Battle! First of the Dragons attacks you, Lord Leo Wizard!"
"Activate Continuous Trap: DNA Transplant!"
Hm?
Hikaru paused.
"When this card is activated, declare 1 Attribute. While this card is on the field, all face-up monsters on the field become the declared Attribute!
I declare: LIGHT!"
The originally dark, wizard-robed lion suddenly radiated holy light, while the majestic First of the Dragons seemed to take on a benevolent appearance.
Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend: DARK -> LIGHT. First of the Dragons: DARK -> LIGHT.
"But that shouldn't change the outcome, right? First of the Dragons still has higher ATK." Echo whispered.
"No, if it played a Trap like that, there must be a purpose." Amon said.
"It's probably its own effect." Amon nodded.
"Heh heh heh, correct." It gestured for its smaller self to raise its claws. "At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a LIGHT monster: I can destroy that monster!"
With that, the small lion raised its right claw and hurled a pitch-black energy sphere straight at First of the Dragons!
Direct destruction of LIGHT monsters!?
That was indeed impressive.
Both duelists marveled again.
"Ha... But, Lord Leo Wizard!" Hikaru showed not a shred of hesitation. "My Fusion is no empty boast!
As long as First of the Dragons exists in the Monster Zone, it cannot be destroyed by battle with anything other than a Normal Monster, and is unaffected by monster effects other than its own!"
The images of two Normal Monsters surfaced on First of the Dragons' body. Together, they blocked the burst of energy from Leo Wizard, shielding the dragon from the effect!
And so, First of the Dragons lunged forward, smashing into Leo Wizard and shattering it!
The gale blew the main body of Leo Wizard's cloak askew, revealing the massive lion face hidden beneath, several meters tall.
Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend, LP: 4000 -> 2650.
"Hahaha..." Leo Wizard let out a deep laugh.
"Using forgotten monsters to perform Fusion, and even using their power to protect the Fusion. An interesting human. It seems you truly aren't just spouting nonsense."
It raised its hand, explaining its effect as it went. "When I'm destroyed by battle or card effect: I can add 1 monster with 1350 ATK from my Deck to my hand."
"It can search itself!" Even Echo could see how strong that was.
However, Leo Wizard didn't search for Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend. Instead, it took the Normal Monster version of itself.
The standard Leo Wizard.
The meaning was clear.
At least for this opening stage of the duel, it considered Hikaru to have "passed."
That is, the ability to properly utilize the cards of this world.
But obviously, there was still a more fundamental question.
And that was...
Whether Hikaru would "abandon" them. Whether he could truly continue to Fuse, as he always had.